Mechanical stoker.



H. E. KLEFFEL.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-16.191].

Patented JUNO 18, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W/ III/718151. 5

H. E. KLEFFEL.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15. Ian.

Patented June 18, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS H. E KLEFFEL.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1911.

lafmltud June 18, 1918.

4 SHEETS- -SHEET 3.

H. E. KLEFFEL.

MECHANICAL STOKEH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16. m1.

1 ,270, 1 7 1 Patented J 11110 18, 191&

4 SHEETS -SHEET 4.

HARRISON EDWARD KLEFFEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1918.

Application filed November 16, 1917. Serial No. 202,374.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRISON E. KLEF- FEL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, inthe county and,State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedMechanical Stoker, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescrip tion.

This invention relates to steam boilers or similar furnaces and hasparticular reference to mechanical stokers or means to introduce thefuel.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a mechanism whereby thefuel may be introduced from a single hopper or point and more evenlydistributed along the fire bed than has been ossible heretofore.

Another object o the invention is to improve the connections between thefeeder mechanism and the movable grate devices whereby both sets ofthese devices may be operated simultaneously and from a single source ofpower.

With the foregoing and other objects in View the invention consists inthe arrange- -ment and combination of parts hereinafter described andclaimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact detailsof construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose ofillustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate thesame parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a verticalcentral longitudinal section indicating my improved device.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section approximately on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a is a sectional detail on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the plunger; and

Figs. 6 to 9 are transverse sectional details on the corresponding linesof Fig. 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings I indicate as anillustration of the preferred embodiment of my invention, itsapplication to a standard form of steam boiler furnace having a frontwall 10, a rear wall 11, a base or floor 12, side walls 13, a series ofwater tubes 14, a fresh air channel 15 along the center of the base andash pits 16 at the sides.

At the front of the furnace is arranged an open topped hopper 17 from orthrough which the fuel is fed or delivered into the fire pot. The bottomof the hopper communicates with a tubular member 18 pro viding a fuelchannel leading upwardly and rearwardly along the center of the furnace.The tubular member 18 may be regarded as comprising a throat portion 18having an open outer end in which is fitted a feeder block portion 19 ofa rigid plunger having a long tapered tongue portion 20 within thefurnace. The throat portion 18 is in dicated as comprising a plainbottom 21, vertical side walls 22 and an angularl y shaped top or roofportion 23. This roof portion as well as the sides and bottom projectsthrough the front wall 10 and is unbroken cxcept where the lower end ofthe hopper communicates therewith. The feeder block 19 conforms in shapeand size to the inner surface of the throat portion 18 in which it isadapted to be reciprocated by any suitable power devices, not shown, butcommunicated thereto through a shank 24 having a series of rack teeth 25formed thereon. The tongue portion 20 of the plunger is tapered towardthe rear end, the upper surface of'the tongue being substan tiallyhorizontal while the bottom of the tongue is inclined upwardly towardthe rear providing the taper in a vertical direction,

while the side walls and tongue converge toward the rear constitutingthe taper thereon in a transverse horizontal direction. The extreme rearend of the tongue is V-shaped ()l.\})0lllt0(l and is preferablysupported upon a" -shaped guide block 26. It will be noted from Fig. 1that the bottom edge or surface of the tongue 20 is in alinement withthe bottom portion of the throat 18 and hence is parallel to the axis ofthe shank 2-1. The vertical taper of the tongue therefore correspondssubstantially to the upward inclination of the bottom of the fuelchannel. It will be seen therefore that when the plunger is reciprocatedforwardly bringing the rear end of the block '19 in front of the outletfrom the hopper to admit a quantity of coal into the fuel channel thetop surface of the ton no will approach the bottom of said channeFurthermore when the plunger is forced rearwardly and upwardly the block19 will act positively against the mass of coal admitted behind it andforce the same rearwardly through the throat 18 and at the same time thetongue HlElSSUED will be lifted while it glides rearwardly and upwardlyalong the inclined bottom of the fuel channel, and thus the coal, inrepeated reciprocations of the plunger, will be forced upwardly due tothe rise of the plunger and rearwardly and laterally through thedistributing retorts or channels due to the rearward taper of theplunger. The degree of taper will, of course,.be designed according tothe length of the fire box and the degree of inclination of the fuelchannel.

The guide block 26'supporting the rear pointed end of the tongue 20serves to hold the plunger from lateral vibration and more particularlyserves to prevent the fuel from working beneath the rear end of thetongue.

The main retort or fuel channel is shown best in Fig. 3 and constitutesa longitudinal gutter-like structure 27, the bottom of which comprisesonly a'pair of guide rails 28 supporting the tongue 20 having bearingflanges 29. The reciprocating tongue therefore constitutes the realbottom of the fuel channel or retort 27. These flanges, as shown in Fig.

2, are approximately parallel at their outer edges and serve to hold thecoal from dropping through the space between the rails 28. Laterally ofthe rails the bottom of the fuel channel extends upwardly and mergesalong rounded lines 30 into the downwardly inclined main fuel supportingwalls 31. It will be noted that while the top surface of my tongue or 1lunger 20 is horizontal and always parallefto the top of the grate, theupward and rearward taper of. the plunger provides that thecross-sectional area of the retort is substantially the same at allpoints throughout its length, and yet its sides are approximatelyparallel. On opposite sides of the center of the fuel channel arerovided series of draft trunks 32 which pro ect well upward and inwardtoward the vertical central plane of the retort as shown in sideelevation' in Fig. 3 and in section in Fig. 3 The top of each of theseair trunks 32 is provided with outwardly inclined slits 33, the planesof the several slits of each trunk bem arranged fan-shaped or toward thevertica at the upper or central end of each trunk. Air is admittedfreely through the bottom of the trunks from the main central airchamber 34 communicating with the draft channel 15. Portions of the coalpushed upwardly and laterally b the tongue 20 of the plunger pass upwarly between ad acent trunks 32 of the same series. Thus the fuel isformed into a relatively thin bed extending over the fuel channel, airtrunks and slotted walls 31 approximating the form indicated by thedotted line 35 in Fig.3. The ashes or other solid products of combustionaccumulate laterall of the mound of fuel ap- .proximating the ormindicated at 36. These products of combustion may be delivereddownwardly into the ash pits 16 by opera- 40, each having a handle, orits equivalent,

at 41 at the front end of the furnace to control the position thereof.

For the purpose of operating the movable grate bars 37 mechanically andautomatically, I provide a rock shaft '42 journaled transversely acrossthe front of the furnace and having a pinion 43 meshin with the rackteeth 25 above described. t each reciprocation of the shank 24 the teeththereof will rotate the rock shaft 42. At the ends of the rock shaft arebeveled gears 44 meshing with corresponding gears 45 secured to thefront ends of short shafts 46 arranged in axial alinement with the grateshafts 38 and adapted to be clutched thereto by any suitable type ofclutch indicated generally at 47 and each under the control of theoperator throu h a hand lever 48. ,If the movable grate are 37 are to beoperated at each reciprocation of the plunger obviously the clutches 47will be held connecting the shafts 38 and 46, but ifeither of the gratebars is to be stopped the operator will shift the clutch accordingly butwithout interfering with the action of the plunger and feederprojectsabove the tongue portion 20 abuts squarely against the body of coalreceived from the hopper and hence this portion of the feeder block actspositively to force the coal into or toward the furnace. Irrespective,therefore, of the condition of the'coal in the fuel channel 27 each timethe block 19 is reciprocated forwardly there will be an additionalamount of coal' received back of the block- 19 and on-the next rearwardreciprocation the bulk of this coal just received will'be forcedrearwardly, pushing in turn any previously admitted coal back or aboveit. Even though the top surface of the tongue is not inclined downwardlytoward the rear the coal will nevertheless be actuated rearwardl due tothe lateral taper of the tongue. is indicated at 49 I may provide finsor ribs extending transversely across or along the upper curved surfaceof the tongue which will serve not only to strengthen and stifi'en thetongue, but also as'positive pushing means to facilitate the of thecoal.

I claim:

1. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a grate structure having-acentral retort, the top of which is horizontal and the bottom of whichis provided with upwardly and rear distribution rearwardly inclinedflanges but being otherwise open, and a plunger arranged in said retortwhose top is parallel to the top of the retort and whose bottom isupwardly inclined and cooperating with said flanges constitutes the realbottom for the retort. v 2. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of aretort having rigid walls and a top arranged in a horizontal plane butwhose bottom. is open, and a reciprocating plunger in saidretort, thetop of the plunger being parallel to the top of the retort while thebottom thereof is inclined upwardly andrearwardly and constitutes theclosure for the retort bottom. 7

3. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a suitably arranged retortfrom which extend laterally a plurality of branch retorts the tops ofwhich are in substantially the same horizontal plane, the walls betweenthe adjacent branch retorts constituting air trunks, and areciprocatingplunger in the main retort serw'ng when reciprocated toconvey the coal upward and rearward along the main retort and laterallyfrom the main retort into the branch retorts.

4. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of arigid grate constructionprovided with a central retort from the opposite sides of which extendseries of branch retorts, the top 'of the wall structures betweenadjacent retorts of the same series being hollow constituting air trunksand having their tops extended upward and inward toward the verticalcentral plane of the main retort, and

a a reciprocating plunger in the main retort,

the top of theplunger being parallel to the tops of said trunks whilethe bottom thereof is upwardly and rearwardly tapered wherebythe top. ofthe plunger will e moved'toward and from the plane of the tops of thetrunks coincidentally with the reciprocations thereof.

5. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a ri id grate structureincluding a main retort rom which extend a series of lateral branchretorts, the wall structure between adjacent branch retorts constitutinga r trunks the tops of which lie in the same horizontal plane, and aplunger in the main retrunks which extend upward and inward toward thecentral plane of the main retort, the top surface of each of said trunksbeing provided with transverse slits arranged in a series of fan shapedplanes, the uppermost slits lying in planes nearest vertical, and areciprocating plunger located in the main retort, said plunger beingtapered rearwardl whereby at each rearward reciprocation t ereof coalwill be forced upward and rearward along the main retort and laterallyinto and through the branch retorts, the distribution beingsubstantially equal in all directions.

7. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a ri id grate structurehaving a main retort with substantially parallel side walls and openbottom defined by parallel upwardly inclined sup orting flanges, saidside walls being bro en and establishing communication between the mainretort and a series of branch retorts on each side of the main retort,the walls between adjacent branch retorts constituting upwardlyprojecting air trunks the tops of which are in the same horizontalplane, and a plunger reciprocating in the main retort and supported uponsaid flanges thereby constituting a bottom for the main retort, saidplunger having a substantially straight upper surface parallel to saidhorizontal plane while the bottom thereof is inclined upwardly andrearwardly, the body portion of the plunger being tapered rearwardly andyet provided with parallel edge flanges cooperating with said supportingflanges.

8. In a mechanical stoker, the combination with a main fixed ate havinga central retort and a series of branch retorts extending laterallytherefrom on either side, the top of the rate along the main retortbeing horizontal ut inclined laterall therefrom along the branchretorts, a mova 1e dumping grate member along the bottom edge of eachinclined portion of the grate, a reciprocating plunger in the mainretort serving to convey the fuel upward and rearward along the same andsimultaneously laterally along the branch retorts, and means tomechanically operate the movable grate members from and simultaneouslywith the reciprocations of the plunger.

HARRISON EDWARD KLIFFEL.

